DÔL by Ortir Apothecari

Niche Perfumery is a term that’s hard to categorise these days, because the goal posts of what is produced by the large brands has shifted dramatically. Originally thought of as an alternative to the large corporations, most high-street brands now have a “niche” department creating more unusual offerings, and so the lines have definitely blurred. Once the domain of an independent producer creating in small batches, the focus is now firmly on the quality rather than the quantity. Many companies have tried to gain a foothold in the niche sector, with varying success, but the latest to proudly bloom is the Wales-based Ortir Apothecari.

Historically the land of song, Wales has more recently become an exciting centre for perfumery. You won’t find the perfumes created here in Boots or Superdrug, but they’re all available with a bit of searching. Probably the first notable artisan perfumer in Wales is Tim Tyson Short. Originally a film-maker and musician, he started in 2017 in Cardiff and still creates fascinating small batch natural fragrances. This was followed by Wales Perfumery in 2021, which caters specifically for the Welsh tourism market with their four simple and easy-to-wear fragrances. However, Ortir Apothecari is a different matter, and truly deserves the title of Wales’ First Niche Perfumery.

Lisa Howarth founded Ortir Apothecari in 2022 after several years of perfecting the growing and distilling of essential oils in Wales. She'd wanted to add something tangibly personal to a collection of perfumes and so, alongside the finest perfumery ingredients, she was then able to add the likes of home-grown rosemary, lavender, peppermint and rose geranium. A true one-woman operation, Lisa grows, distils, formulates, blends, bottles, packages, and ships. This adherence to quality has meant that she's now stocked in London’s Bloom Perfumery and New York’s Stéle, and in 2023 was nominated as Best Newcomer in the Fragrance Foundation Awards and won Fashion and Beauty StartUp of the Year at the Wales Startup Awards.

The four perfumes take the Welsh names Aer, Dôl, Haf and Hiraeth, with each being inspired by Lisa’s personal experiences of life in Wales. All four fragrances are exceptional, but it was Dôl that I absolutely fell in love with. This reworking of the traditional fougere style embodies a walk through the unspoilt Welsh landscape, with the grass at knee height, the sunshine hitting the partially scorched earth, but always with the inevitable hint of rain on the horizon. The evocative aspect of Dôl though has to be the inclusion of Lisa's homegrown lavender, and it is guaranteed to smash your preconceptions.

Dôl opens with a magical citrus and aromatic pairing, so you’re instantly put into the mindset of an expansive terrain. This blending of bergamot with grapefruit, along with a touch of green galbanum, is given an aquatic and herbaceous quality thanks to the introduction of mint, which is an ingredient sorely underused in today’s perfumes. The development sees the promised home-grown lavender arrive, linked beautifully from the aromatically-edged bergamot, but there’s a golden earthiness to this oil (rather than simply the usual purple wash) that is almost ethereal. You’re then treated to a rounded rose geranium, again with its earthy nuances, before the recognisable fougere base of oakmoss, tonka bean and vetiver completes the perfect romp through the fields. Perfumery really doesn’t get much better than this!

Dôl, and the whole collection, is available from the Ortir Apothecari website at ortir.co.uk, Bloom Perfumery in London, and Stéle in New York, priced at £114 for 50ml. The collection is also available as a Discovery Set priced at £30. [Samples provided by Ortir Apothecari]